Message for the IMRO Radio Awards 2020
Áras an Uachtaráin, 2 October 2020
Mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, as President of Ireland, I am delighted to send my best wishes to all those who have been nominated for this year’s IMRO Radio Awards, awards that recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to radio broadcasting over the past year. As such, the annual awards ceremonies are opportunities to celebrate the importance of radio, and to recognise the many talented people who continue to serve our communities through broadcasting.
The past year has been one of tremendous challenges for all, and local, regional and national radio stations were not exempt from the difficulties that the Covid pandemic has brought. Many of you have had to reinvent your modus operandi, changing your studios, adapting show formats, interviewing and editing remotely, and broadcasting from home. Tonight’s ceremony should also be an appreciation, then, of the flexibility and creativity that you have demonstrated in meeting these challenges.
And tonight should also be an occasion to stress that the Covid-19 pandemic has also brought some positives for radio. In this time of uncertainty for so many, people across Ireland have turned to radio as a trusted source of information, analysis and indeed companionship, for Irish listeners of all generations.
Our radio stations not only offer a platform for a great diversity of opinions and views, but also provide a forum that brings communities together, fostering positive dialogue and practical solidarity. It is these qualities that have brought more people back to radio and I am far from alone in welcoming this.
May I congratulate you, traoslaím libh, and thank you for continuing, during this difficult time, to serve our society through your work.
By giving voice to, and relaying information and opinion to them, you are empowering our citizens. Radio promotes the knowledge and values that we require to build our society. By informing with accountable fact and opinion and thus valuing its listeners, radio helps to build bridges of understanding in society.
As President of Ireland, may I reiterate that your work should be a source of pride to you all, and may I send you my very best wishes, as you celebrate your achievements, and through them, the immense and splendid power of radio.
Traoslaím libh uilig as bhur n-iarrachtaí cúrsaí craolacháin den scoth a chur ar fáil.
Beir beannacht.
